Have you ever dreamed of that bike that's exactly the way you want it?
Have you ever considered building it yourself?
Very few things are more satisfying than that
but I still remember a time when I was petrified by the same idea.
So here's a series of videos covering how is done
and hope to inspire at least some of you to try it.
The biggest challenge will probably be understanding what parts you need
and that is why I have two builds here to compare:
an aluminum Kona frame that I bought new.
This is one of the last scandium frames they've ever produced.
And a carbon Norco Revolver that I bought used online.
Almost everything can be done on the cheap
and I will mention the few tools you must have when the time comes.
To start with you will need either a bike stand or a workbench and a vise.
But first things first, you should never forget that Instagram shot.
It's very exciting to see all the parts together ready to be installed.
Frame is the heart of your bike and it dictates almost everything that goes on it.
The headset type dictates the fork
The bottom bracket type that also dictates the cranks you can install,
the seat tube dimension,
the rear axle and rear axle spacing that pretty much dictates the type of wheels you can install.
Cable routing is also dictated by the frame.
The drivetrain type,
water bottle cage
and finally if you want to install a dropper
are you gonna have it routed internally or externally?
All these are dictated by the frame that you choose
so it's very important to do your research upfront.
And because frame is the most expensive part of your build you might want to
look at protecting it first.
Here you can see on the Kona I only have a tiny bit
of chainstay protection which is definitely not enough.
And on the Norco you can see how
I've already protected the down tube and the chainstay
by using two products: one is the Shelter tape
that is pretty thick and flexible
very good protection for those sensitive areas.
And two, I used the 3M mastic tape here on the chainstay.
I like this the most because it's very flexible and will
actually stick really solidly to these surfaces.
And since your buddies are going to ask for it
don't forget to weight that frame.
This Norco with the seat post clamp
with the rear thru axle and the bottle cage bolts, two sets of them,
comes down to 1394 grams. It is right at 1300g without the thru axle.
Same size, 15 inches or Small aluminum scandium frame from Kona
with the seat post collar comes up to 1741 grams.
That is pretty much a pound heavier than the carbon frame of the Norco.
Because it helps you attach it to the bike stand
usually the seat post is the very first one to be installed.
There's two things to be worried about here:
one is the internal dimension of that tube,
and that will dictate the type of seatpost you're gonna get.
Both of this frames use 30.9 mm
Other popular sizes are 27.2 and 31.6 mm.
It would be the same for dropper posts.
If the seatpost diameter is usually easy to find in specs
what is not that easy to find is the size of this clamp that holds it in place.
Mine came with the frame and this is what's called the fixed bolt.
You can get the quick-release and all you need to provide it's one dimension:
the external dimension of that seat tube.
This one would be 34.9 mm, that's what it is standard.
If your seat post and frame are aluminum
you're going to use some grease for installation.
If either seat post or frame are carbon you're gonna need some carbon grease or carbon paste.
Don't forget about the little bolt on the seat post collar
this needs a bit of grease as well, never put carbon paste on it.
Apply some on the inside of the seat tube
or a thin layer of carbon paste here on the seatpost
and make sure you push it in past that minimum insertion point
just to keep the frame safe and keep yourself safe.
And finally, tightening this bolt, this is very important, you might not think about it,
If it is carbon you need 5 Nm or less otherwise you're gonna crush it.
If it is a dropper post this can affect the functionality of it.
And in general this is going to be the first place we're
having a torque wrench will come in handy.
Highly recommended, this is 5 Nm preset, you can use any other torque wrench you have.
With the frame on the stand it's very tempting to jump in
and install the fork or put your bottom bracket on
but if you have a frame like this with internally routed cables
you can see the rear hose, the brake hose coming out here,
that is the derailleur cable.
These cables are routed right around the bottom bracket here
they come through the down tube all the way up to your head tube.
With nothing else installed it is easy for you to reach out here and
make your life a lot easier when you're running those cables.
For this KONA frame all cables are routed externally
so it's not critical to install any of the hoses right now.
However if you want to modify the cable routing in any way
you see me here, I drilled out the cable stops to run a continuous cable housing.
If you need to do anything like that this would be a perfect opportunity.
I usually use the shift cable from Shimano, the SP41 is very good you can also buy
it in bulk or it comes in a set like this.
And with those cable ports removed
arm yourself with a lot of patience and start running them.
This is a good time to think about where the cables will come in from.
Here on the left is going to be my shifter cable.
Because I'm doing moto style brakes
the rear brake hose going to be on the other side otherwise it will be here as well.
So with the shifter cable and the brake hose already pushed into the frame
It's time for me to look at the bottom bracket.
This Norco comes with a not so popular press fit bottom bracket (PF)
It is called press fit because the bearings
are pressed inside the frame as you see it here.
In order to shop around for your bottom bracket
you're going to need to provide this internal dimension
This one is 46 millimeters.
Also the shell width, this is 73 mm
Bikes like Trek use 92 mm or BB 92.
Last thing you need to provide
is the type of cranks you're going to use.
This is a PF30 bottom bracket
because it is a BB30 crank set.
BB30 refers to the axle diameter, this is 30 mm.
SRAM also uses 24 mm in their GXP, Shimano uses 24mm
and you also have the new SRAM DUB which is almost almost 29mm.
So that will dictate how big is the opening here and the type of bearings used.
These bottom brackets coming especially from SRAM, Shimano
are not considered to be that good.
That's why a lot of people install aftermarket bottom brackets.
In my case I'm going to install this Enduro bottom bracket which is
supposed to last longer and just keep the bike quiet.
The big problem of pressfit
is just creaking and cracking coming from the bottom bracket area.
And to find an advantage for these bottom brackets
they can usually be installed with a homemade press.
You see me here using a threaded rod, a couple of big nuts
and then use the big washers, these are two pieces of aluminum.
All you're gonna do, just press these cups into the frame
and at the minimum you will have to use grease
just to grease up these surfaces that will touch the frame.
I strongly strongly encourage you to use the manufacturers recommendations
for installing these bottom brackets though.
For my Enduro bottom bracket I put some grease
here where it touches the frame.
Then grease up that BB shell a little bit inside the frame as well.
Just push the drive side BB shell right into place
And then I'm just gonna tighten it with my DIY press over here.
Here it is, press it in until it touches the frame.
Ready to install this non-drive side
and the little trick, I put a piece of paper here right in front of my big washer
just to make sure that I don't scratch that anodized surface of my bottom bracket.
So here we go...
until snug and I'm done.
And that's all it is to it.
It's actually a lot easier than you might think.
If you're lucky your dream frame
comes with what's called a threaded bottom bracket.
Also English, ISO or BSA bottom brackets are interchangeable terms for it.
And in order to purchase the appropriate bottom bracket for it all you need to provide
is this, which is the shell with standard 73 mm for mountain bikes and 68mm for road.
These are a popular choice because all you do is just thread these
caps onto the frame and also because they allow you by using these spacers
to adjust the chain line for your drivetrain.
Installation is very easy
but you're gonna need a bottom bracket tool, very easy to find by the way.
Just follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to do it.
First some quality grease on the thread here of the bottom bracket.
Next bring your drive side or right side bottom bracket cup.
This is a reverse thread so start to tighten it by hand
remember you have the little spacer here.
Then grab your torque wrench and the bottom bracket tool
and just tighten it to that 40-45Nm.
Only difference on the non-drive side or left side is that
this is a normal thread so tightened clockwise,
then grab the bottom bracket tool
and tighten to manufacturer's specification.
Next in line is gonna be the headset which is installed right here into the head tube
Headset is this two bearing assembly that centers the fork to the frame
and allows it to move freely when steering.
It includes the top and bottom bearings
the eventual cups, the crown race, what is called the top cover,
and finally the top cap and the star nut.
Use the link on the screen for more info on this
I did a video not too long ago.
The type in the size is dictated by the frame
and the fork has to match that.
By far the easiest to work with is the
Integrated headset that you see here on my Norco.
Here the bearings just fit into the frame and nothing else is needed.
Kona comes with the other standard commonly used today called ZS or Zero Stack.
In this case the cups will have to be pressed into the frame first
then the bearings sit on it.
Both these frames use what's called the tapered head tube
so the top bearing and the bottom bearing are different sizes.
Bottom bearing is bigger than the top as you see it over here.
But frame manufacturers usually clearly state the type of headset they use.
To press in the cups all you need is a bit of grease here on the outer surface
and then I'm gonna use the same DIY press from the bottom bracket.
I'm using this bearing press because it's more convenient
if you use a threaded rod with the big washers
or my two pieces of aluminum here
all you want to do is just press these in, one at a time!
Also pay attention, as you start to squeeze this in
make sure that your cup goes in evenly and not crooked.
This is a lot easier done with a dedicated tool versus a DIY tool like this.
And once it tightens up you know it's done.
This is the hardest one to push in, the top cap
but once it's nicely centered it will fit in as easy as the bottom bracket.
Repeat that same procedure for the bottom cup and you're probably done
with the hardest thing to do on this new bike built.
And that's also the end of this part one of my video.
Frames are ready to go
bottom brackets are in
cables are routed, headsets are ready to go as well.
We're ready to install everything else on the bike
but that's going to be in part two of my video.
What do you guys think?
Do you have any tips and tricks to share here with all of us?
I would love to hear in the comments below.
If you found this useful don't forget to like the video,
In the description of the video I included a lot of links,
don't forget to subscribe if you haven't done so already
and I will see you in part two
when we'll continue to build a bike from scratch.
Cheers guys, cheers!